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5 Ways to Update Your Marketing for the New Year

The New Year is almost here, and if you want to vamp up your sales in 2011 you’ll need to update your marketing strategy. Here are five ways you can refresh your pitch and land more customers in 2011.

1. Tweak your image

Your brand image is an important mainstay in your marketing repertoire, but that doesn’t mean it should be totally static. Tweak your image to meet the challenges of the times and you’ll endear yourself to your customers. It could be time for an updated logo or tagline to tackle 2011′s predicted troublesome economic trends.

2. Teach investment

As a business, you understand that costs are actually investments with (hopefully) returns. As a nation, the general consumer is also adopting this mindset. Demonstrate to customers how you’ve adapted to prepare for the future and how you can help them tackle their own problems – without breaking the bank. Help customers think of each purchase as an investment, and show them the what, when and how of their return.

3. Go to your customers

Online advances have made it easy to display your advertising to a well-targeted audience. The problem is you have to assume your audience will still find you there. Advertising on social networking sites is like putting up a billboard along the highway. You know the customers are there, but you don’t know if they’ll look at your ad. Not to mention the fact that not everyone travels by highway – or by social networks.

If you want to make a splash in 2011, you have to go directly to your customers. Send direct-mail postcards that you know your customers will see. Call them on the phone or plan face-to-face meetings. The traditional means of marketing are not dead – maybe less expensive and easier with fewer competitors – so don’t ignore the power of direct marketing. Don’t worry, you can still advertise on Facebook. Just don’t market exclusively on Facebook.

4. Listen

Ask your customers how they would like to receive word about new products and services. Ask them what types of specials they would like to see in 2011. Ask them what you’re missing in your product and service lineup that they would like to have. Ask your staff for creative ideas on how to better market to your target audience and to increase sales.

Listen, evaluate and experiment to see if suggestions pay off. If your customers are united on any key point, try to implement it into your system. Your best customers will share similar traits, after all, and listening could be the key to doubling or even tripling your customer base.

5. Focus

If you sit down for 10 minutes you could probably think of a few dozen ways to make money with your business. Such dilution detracts from specialization, or at the very least implementation. You have to focus on a single task, or a small set of tasks, at a time in order to achieve your goals. Don’t try 10 new things at once – try one or two, focus on them until they’re 100 percent right and then move on. In a year’s time you’ll accomplish much more – and earn more profits – with this approach than if you try to tackle everything at once.

About Brian Morris

Brian Morris serves in various capacities as a freelance writer, content developer and public relations specialist for growing small businesses. When he’s not writing, he can be found on the racquetball court - usually getting his tail kicked by guys 20 years older.

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The PsPrint Blog is a resource for graphic designers, freelancers, small business owners and fans of print marketing. You'll find helpful techniques on printing everything there is to print, including business cards, postcards, brochures, stickers, invitations, greeting cards, door hangers, magnets and more. The PsPrint Blog shares creative ways to improve your design and layout skills, and useful tips for marketing your business in any medium. We also like to have a little fun, sharing design inspiration and spotlighting some our favorite customers' printed pieces in our "Hot Off the Press" series.